Wednesday, February 26, 2014

happiest place on earth...

i had a change of heart and decided to split our disneyland days into two posts. i just couldn't cut it down anymore. there is something about seeing the pictures of the girls at disneyland that makes me feel like a real, legitimate mom...or maybe a better way of saying it, is that we're making these real family memories that we'll remember forever. whenever we look through pictures of my childhood, i can spot a disneyland picture immediately. the floodgates open and i recall details of those days- like the time my dad took a day off work and him and my mom took my whitney and i for the day. i still remember the 4 of us taking a picture with the beast, and the rides we went on, even where we ate lunch. it was fitting that that was the day i took a picture with snow white (read more about my first real job as snow white here). as i was flipping through our pictures i realized that i had shots of the girls where you can see all the details of disneyland- just where we were, the line we were standing in, where we were eating, etc. but the pictures i loved the most, the ones i keep flipping back to, are the pictures that captured their amazed faces...and if i wasn't gushing before, i swear there are a few that there eyes are completely lit up. we felt a range of emotions throughout the day. by 4pm we had been everything under the sun- happy, scared, frustrated, exhausted and downright thrilled. it's an exhausting day! but for me, it was one of those days that make me grateful for parenthood, even the tricky parts. i'll never forget gracie on the carousel and how she could hardly keep her bum on the seat. i'll never be able to forget maddie seeing minnie mouse and her turning to me with her eyes as big as saucers and her hands over her mouth like, "mom, can you BELIEVE IT?!" taking gracie on her first big roller coaster (the matterhorn) and feeling anxious that she wasn't at all nervous. i mean, she hopped in the bobsled without a moments hesitation, with me trying to prepare her that it would go fast, and she might get scared, but to just hold on. when we rolled to a stop at the end of the ride she turned around to us and said, "but there weren't even any big slides in that one!" she solidified her place as 2nd bravest in the family and i shrunk back to 3rd. sweet maddie was content throughout the park, no matter what we were doing. she preferred to hold hands, and extra points were given to anyone who wanted to hold her instead of letting her ride in the stroller. as her 3rd birthday is coming up i've realized we've maybe, occasionally, in some small way babied her a little bit. or a lot, but we're still struggling to come to grips with her 3rd birthday, so she still is a baby. the day couldn't have been complete without my mom, whitney and oliver there to join in the fun. whitney and i were constantly pointing out faces the kids were making, and who was the most excited. watching them experience it all is by far greater than any ride or character. so, here are a few (or quite a few) pictures from part one of disneyland. check back tomorrow for the rest of our pictures as well as our favorite tips and tricks to get you through the day!

I love seeing your family adventures! You can just see the excitement captured on your girl's faces. After reading about your Snow White experience, I had NO idea what all was involved in the process. It almost sounds like you were auditioning for a movie.